Borgata’s B-Prime Steakhouse wows with modern style and big flavors (2024)

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa once housed as many as four restaurants featuring the talents of Iron Chefs. The Food Network-enhanced name recognition from culinary legends like Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay undoubtedly brought heads in the door, and continues to do so at places like Michael Symon’s spectacular Italian concept Angeline. But one could make a strong argument that when it comes to former celebrity chef-branded spots at Borgata, the restaurants that replaced them ended up being better than those with the famous name on the marquee. American Bar & Grill has only gotten better since Wolfgang Puck’s name was removed from it, and the brand-new B-Prime Steakhouse is the latest to show up a big name star with a superior offering.

The restaurant opened up this summer in the space once occupied by Bobby Flay Steak, and to say it is a welcome addition would be selling it way short. Flay’s former restaurant was an underwhelming experience, one often marred by subpar cuts of meat swimming in rich, dense sauces clearly designed to cover up for the fact that the steaks you were being served just weren’t very good. There was an obvious reliance on the fact that the name Bobby Flay would be enough to keep people coming in regardless of what level of food came out of the kitchen.

That’s why B-Prime is such a fabulous breath of fresh air — they got everything right this time.

The experienceSince the recent shuttering of Nero’s at Caesars, Borgata is now the only Atlantic City casino to boast two onsite steakhouses, with both of them falling under the fine dining category. While traditionalists may flock to Old Homestead, B Prime maintains the young and fresh vibe present throughout much of Borgata.

“We created B Prime as a modern alternative to the classic steakhouse,” said Borgata Vice President of Hospitality Anthony Caratozzolo in a recent press release.

And that’s exactly what it is. General stuffiness and the obligatory tuxedoed wait staff are nowhere to be found, instead the room buzzes with a palatable energy thanks to sleek and trendy design and décor elements and a curated soundtrack of ’80s and ’90s pop, rock and new wave hits — all played at a volume that falls well above what you would expect from your average fine dining establishment, but still low enough to make conversation easy and enjoyable.

The wait staff – who dress somewhere between “formal” and “casual Friday” — look sharp but not haughty in their pressed jeans, neckties and vests, and manage to knock it out of the park with their level of service.

The main waiter on our visit was Lewis, who doubled as a mind reader and magician, regularly appearing seemingly out of nowhere to freshen up drinks, scrape away crumbs and fulfill requests – often before we even considered making them. He also did a remarkable job recommending various dishes throughout the meal, steering us away from the more gimmicky choices and making sure everything we ended up with was top notch.

A creative kitchenHip atmosphere and a great wait staff are nice plusses, but what the kitchen puts out is ultimately what makes or breaks any restaurant. The executive chef at B-Prime is Howard Stilianessis, whose execution is masterful and whose menu is surprisingly lengthy for a steakhouse, offering an eclectic mix of apps and entrees to please all palates.

StartersA raw bar opens things up with a list of the usual suspects, like oysters, shrimp co*cktail and the Prime Plateau – a $165 tower of lobster, shrimp, oysters, clams and tuna tartare that’s as visually impressive as you might expect.

The list of apps features some tasty coconut shrimp, enhanced by a spicy sriracha-lime aioli as well as crab cakes, garlic prawns, a so-so cacio e pepe, and a fabulous house-made cheese bread served with Calabrian chili butter.

But the absolute rock star of the bunch was the Wagyu Cheesteak Bites – two mini cheesesteaks prepared with wagyu beef, caramelized onion, aged provolone and truffle served on a buttered Parker roll. Truly the only shame here is that this dish is relegated to being merely an app on a steakhouse menu. No one should have to search this deep for something this good. Borgata should have a stand selling nothing but full-size versions of these as you walk in the lobby. It’s easily the best cheesesteak in South Jersey.

SteaksSteak dishes at B-Prime include options from Japan, including Saga Beef ($33 per ounce), Olive Beef ($42 per ounce) and a True A5 Kobe Beef ($36 per ounce), each of which require a 3-ounce minimum. There is also a tasting flight of all three in 1-ounce portions which can be had for $100 per person. Hey, nobody ever said the good life was cheap.

More traditional steak options are divided between classics like the 20-ounce bone-in NY Strip from Creekstone Farms, domestic Wagyus from Texas Farms including Flat Iron, Ribeye Filet and NY Strip options and a subgroup of shareables, such as the impressive B-Prime Tomahawk ($135) – a 32-ounce Pat Lafrieda behemoth that will have other tables craning their necks in envy.

Our favorite steak was the 16-ounce Creekstone Farms Delmonico ($72) – a recommendation from Lewis which delivered on every level. Buttery and seared to a perfect medium rare, this was one of the most flavorful and fabulous steaks we have tried anywhere in Atlantic City.

All steaks can be topped with blue cheese, truffled bordelaise or crab Oscar, should you feel the need, but covering up the beauty of these would be a shame in our opinion.

Beyond the beefThose looking to avoid red meat are still catered to at B-Prime, as the menu delves nicely into seafood faves like Dayboat Scallops ($40) served with sweet Jersey corn and an herb pistou; Miso-Glazed Chilean Seabass ($49) with bok choy and lotus root; and both Maine Lobster Tail ($54) and Whole Maine Lobster (MP) dishes. Cauliflower Steak ($28) and a Half Roasted Chicken ($39) round out the non-beef options.

Side dishes include the basics like steak fries, roasted mushrooms, charred broccolini and mac & cheese, but the Michael Jordan of the bunch is the Chipotle Corn Brulee, a unique, creamy and spicy side dish that will go twice as quick as the rest of them.

Sweet endingsFilling up on your apps and entrees is pretty much a given here, but if you do manage to save some room, the dessert list is a fun one. It rotates, and has things like homemade donuts and cheesecake on it, but on the night we came the Oreo Crème Brulee was the perfect kiss goodnight to a damn fine meal. If they have it, get it. If not, ask Lewis what else is good. He’ll know.